Published at LXer:

It's easy for people to pick at Windows for being prone to virus and malware attacks. It's almost a given belief that if you're running a PC with a Windows operating system, you're much more susceptible to attacks than users with other operating systems. But let's quickly look at the reasons for this. First, it isn't really Microsoft's fault. It isn't that Windows is technically inferior, it's that the majority of the world runs on Windows. This fact alone is very attractive for any virus coder or exploiter. As a virus writer, you'd want to attack the majority, not the minority.

[Hmm..are you sure it's just five? - Scott]

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Where are the steps ? Oh well, it doesn't matter. Quickly everyone, lets switch to Window$, hurry, before the malware gets us !

Linux is virus free (as I am aware), not virus proof. The reason there are no circulating Linux viruses is because when one is found, it is usually copied to a disk and examined by hackers that work on Linux in that area. So within a couple of days, they would have a fix out and no one is able to be effected by it anymore. That is why it is virus free (as we know, but could be wrong). Unlike with windows, any viruses (that aren't paid off by virus scanner companies) are never quarantined by windows and they don't have the good track record of reverse engineering the viruses as the Linux/ FOSS communities do.

It's not invincible people, just protected by a shield that is strong than windows' shield.

@ texasone

Yeah, I agree, and I personally don't like this article mostly because as can be seen from the wording, it is very much pro-M$.

Right ... (well, I can't post the rest of the crap, because the site is down)

I had difficulties accessing the linked-to article, which is useless anyway… Here's a link to the real interesting article:
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/foobar/6229

Don't be your usual Linux zealot. What this person explains is real, is simple, and both the risk and the cure are so obvious I just can't believe that nothing has been done to date!

Yves.

Those seem like mostly vulnerabilities of GNOME and KDE ... none of which I use or will use.

Yes this is true. But you're not the kind of user who'll get the virus.

The problem is that 99% of new users (think netbooks, Dell, Ubuntu…) will be clueless and use Gnome or KDE. And there's nothing wrong with that: those are familiar environments, where most things can easily be found and most tasks can easily be done. They could get the virus!

Yves.

Ahh, well, ok then, I have to agree. Users who have no clue what they are doing or using or anything (much less know anything related to security) ... yes they will be the first to get a virus.

Yep.

If it really were that simple, it would have been done by now.

Wake me up when someone actually writes an honest-to-goodness self-propagating desktop Linux virus...

Why are they Gnome or KDE risks? If so what desktop environment do you use?

I use fluxbox, read the article for more on your question.